The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

ATTORNEY Wayne Munroe says he will look at filing action next week to scrap recent senior Royal Bahamas Police Force appointments after the government failed to respond to his concerns about the legitimacy of the Police Service Commission.

Assistant Commissioners of Police Clayton Fernander and Leamond Deleveaux want the appointments of four chief superintendents to assistant commissioners rescinded.

In a June 8 letter to Governor General Cornelius Smith, Mr Munroe argued that the appointments are invalid because they did not come from a properly constituted Police Service Commission.

Mr Munroe, QC, said as far as he knows, the Governor General has not responded to the letter.

Mr Munroe says official opposition leader Philip “Brave” Davis was not consulted on the appointment of the commission as the Constitution requires, rendering the group invalid. He says if the appointments are not rescinded, he will take legal action on behalf of ACP Fernander and ACP Deleveaux, seeking a declaration that the commission was not properly appointed, is not properly constituted and its recommendations are void.

Loretta Mackey, Craig Stubbs and Solomon Cash were appointed assistant commissioners with effect from March 30 while Kirkwood Andrews was appointed acting assistant commissioner of police. Although ACP Fernander and ACP Deleveaux remain assistant commissioners of police along with ACP Kendal Strachan and ACP Theophilus Cunningham, these four who were directed to take vacation leave last year are not listed on the RBPF’s recently revised website page showing the senior executive leadership team.

ACP Cunningham’s vacation leave has not yet ended. ACP Strachan is currently suing the government.

ACP Fernander and ACP Deleveaux were among several senior police officers directed to take vacation leave next year. Since returning to duty, they have been transferred to the Ministries of Health and Education respectively. Mr Munroe said yesterday the ministers have yet to explain their roles.